Emergency-brake.



PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

P. B. COREY. IEIMERGENCY BRAKE. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21. 1903.

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. F, B. 0011 EMERGENCY BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT ornioa. A

FRED COREY, OF SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW-YORK.

EMERGENCY-BEAU Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March in, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED B. COREY, a citi-'.

zen of the United States, residing at Schenectady,.county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Emergency-Brakes, of

which the following is a specification.

.My present invention relates to improvements in means for automatically controlling motors and power-actuated brakes in case of an emergency and is intended for use-especially in connection with electrically-proelledvehicles or trains em loying abrale mg system actuated by flui pressure.

In one, of its aspects the present invention may be considered as an improvement on the emergency apparatus disclosed in patent No. 655,389 ranted August 8, 1900 on an application fi ed by F. E. Case. Said emergency ap aratus consists of means 'for automatica ly opening the motor circuit when the motorman releases the controller handle in any operative position of said handle and the present invention contemplates a simple and novel arrangement of arts constituting emergency air brake meclianism adapted to operate in conjunction with said apparatus.

In a further aspect the present invention comprises means for preventing the feeding of compressed fluid from the source of suppl in an automatic air brakesystem throug i the engineers valve to the train ipe while the train pipe is being exhausted y reason of the operation of the emergency valve.

The present invention in its various as. pects and as to its novelfeatures of construction and detail will be more fully understood from the following description, while its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a controller in which my 1m roved form.

of emergency brake controlling valve is mounted, the front'cover of said controller being removed; Fig. 2 is a section through the operating handle of the controller, showing the actuating m'echanismiorthe cutout switch-and emergency valve; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an automatic air-brake system, showing the relative location of and the. connections between the engm'eers valve, the train-pipe, and the emecgency'valve which is operatively connected to-the controller-actuating mechan ism; Fig. 4 is a section throughthe emeractuating mechanism for said valve; Fig. 5 is a section tlirou h the preferred form of valve adapted to close the pipe leading from the train-pipe to the engineers valve; and Fig. 6 is a modified form of-connections for the system shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates the back ofa controller casing u on which the workin parts of thecontroiler are supported. T e main controller cylinder B carriesthe usual contact segments and is geared by cog-wheels C, C to the shaft D which runs up into the hub e of the operating handle E. The hub is rotatable in an opening in the cap-plate A A of the casing and is fastened to the shaft-D by means of a set-screhk d. Rotatably mount ed on the shaft D a sleeve F maintained yieldingly in its normal position by the end to t e sleeve and at the other to the shaft, referably by means of a collar D secured to said shaft. The sleeve F carries a cam f and a lug f, the latter servin as a stop by abutting against a stationary uge on the under side of said cap-plate. The sleeve F controls the o eration of a main cut-out switch, indicate by I, and is capable of being connected with the shaft D whenever the operating handle E is in its off position and is adapted to be rotated with said shaft so long as pressure is maintained on the broad knob E on which the palm of the motormans hand is adapted to rest while the controlling handle is being operated. Immediately upon releasing the pressure on the knob E, that is when the motorman removes his hand from the controllin handle, either designedly or -acci-' dentall and when the controlling handle is in any position other than the off posi tion, the s ring F will rotate the sleeve F to cause t e motor-circuit to be broken at the cut-out switch.

Connected with the knob E is a pin e which rests upon the long arm of the lever E fulcrumed on the operating handle E (see Fig. 2). The spring E bears on the short arm of the lever and keeps the pin andknob normally raised. A toothed rocker E also is fulcrumed on the operatin handle and engages with the short arm 0 the lever E.

elical s ring F which is connected at one.

gency valve, showing diagrammatically the 4o invention and is not herein 45 show how my invention The other end of the rocker E engages with a lugon a bolt E slidable in a key-way in the shaft D and adapted to enter a notch in the upper end of the sleeve F and lock said 5 sleeve to the shaft. This will occur when the knob E is depressed, provided the controller is in the off position. I

Adjacent to the shaft D within the controller is a rock-shaft H which carries the arm h. ;The arm it bears against the cam f in such a manner that the said shaft H is rocked by a movement ofsaid cam. At

some convenient point on the shaft is an arm h which. carries a block of insulation H on 1 5 which are mounted two connected spring'-. contact fingers which cooperate with sta- 'tionary, contacts and form therewith the doublepole cut-out switch 1 above referred to. The said switch is normally maintained 0 o en by. means of a spring (notshown) and t crock-shaft H is operated to close said s'witcha'gainst the action of said spring.

In order to promptly extinguish the are which forms on the separation of the contacts of the cut-.out'sw1tch a blow-out magnet is provided, preferably a flatcoil fitting into a central compartment in a box-L of fiber or other insulating material; The reversing-switch shown in this controller has 3 stationary contact fingers and a rotatable cylinderi RS eccentrically mounted 'on its operating shaft. he said reversing-switch cylinder carries the customary bridging contact segments. An interlock W of any de' sired construction is arranged between the.

reversing-switch and the shaft D.

The specific construction of the working parts'of the motor-controller herein shown.

theinvention is not limited in its application to any specific motor-controller.

In the operation of air-brake systems it is customary either to exhaust the train-pipe to atmosphere, as in the s o-called automatic systems, or to connect the said train-pipe to a source of compressed-fluid supply, as in the so-called strai ht air systems, in order to apply the bra es. In illustrating myinvention as applied to an electricallypropelled vehicle I have chosen so to illustrate the connections for an automatic system, but it will. be elearly understoodthat without departing from the spirit and 300 )e of my invention the device may be applied to the straight air systems.

35 Referring now to Fig. 3 which illustrates diagrammatically an automatic air-brake system equi ped' with an emergency valve ada ted to lie operated from a motor-control er, 5 indicates a motor-driven fiuid-co1npressor; 6 a reservoir for receiving the compressed fiuid from said. compressor; 7 a connecting pipe leading to the engineers valve 8; and 9 a connectin pipe leading from the engineers valve to t e trainipe 10. The brake cylinder 12 is connects to the auxiliary reservoir 13 and also to the train-tpipe through the customary triple-valve 11 o t e automatic system. Opera'tively connected with the controlling hapdle in a manner to be hereinafter described is an emergency valve the casin G of which may be connect"- ed directly to t hetrain-pipe 10 by means of the pipe 15 as shown in 'F 1g. '6, or it may be connected through'the pipe 16 to the casing K so as to operate a relay valve located in the pipe 9 as shown in Fig. 3. The main func tion of this emergency'valve is to cause the train-pi e to be exhausted and thereby apply the braiies independent of the o eration of the engineers valve 8 whenever t e controlling handle is released'in certain of its posi'-' tions by the operator. The specific con struction of this emergencyva ve and the actuating mechanism therefor isshown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Mounted on the back A of the controller casing is a valve casing G having a valve seat 17 on which rests a spring-pressed valve 18. This valve is adapted to control the communication between the train-pipe 10 and the atmosphere through the exhaust ort 19 and also to control the operation of t 1e valvein pipe 9 or it may control the o eration of a relay valve in a manner to be hereinafter described. Mounted on the valve spindle 20 is a collar 21 against which the s ring 22 acts to tend to open the valve 18. T is tendency to open the valve 18'is resisted when the controlling handle is in its off position by the cam 23 carried by the collar D and when said handle is in its operative positions, that is in positions other than that corresponding to theoff position of the controller or other predetermined inoperativeposition, by means of the. arm p mounted on the rock-shaft H.

This arm rests a ainst the end of the spindle 20 so 'fhng as the controllinghandle is in any of its operative positions and ressure is maintained upon the knob E by t 1c motormanor oerator. The valve spindle 20 formed 0 two telescoping parts to allow certain amount of relative movement between the end of the valve spindle which co acts with both the cam 23 and the arm 1) and the part of the valve spindle which is at tached rigidly to the valve. This movement is taken up by the spring 25 which is weaker than the spring 22 and operates to retain the valve 18 u on its seat 17 while thespindle 20 is passing om engagement with the cam 23 20 rock-shaft H is thrown away from the valve seam switch I and then to control the motor-cir- Si'multaneousl cuitsby means ofthe cylinder B. If at any time the motor-man removes his hand from the operating handle the sleeve is unlocked and the s'priii instantly turns the sleeve backward unti the lug f strikes the stop a, in which-position the cam f allows the arm'h to move so that the circuit-closing or cut-outswitch is thrown open b its actuating spring;

with t e operation 0 said cut-out switc which is opened whenever the pressure is removedfrom the knob E, as

abovedescribed. the arm 19 carried by the spindle 20 and the emergency valve 18 is raised from its seat 17 by means of the spring 22 which overpowers the spring 25. The train-pi e is thus caused to be exhausted to atmosp ere and the brakes are applied. In order to close said valve 18 and to release the brakes, the operating handle E is returned to bringing its initial or ofl position thereliy into enthe cam 23 carried by the collar gagement with the valve spindle 20.

Instead of connecting, the emergencyvalve directly to the train-pipe as above described it may be connected to the equalizing reservoir otherwise known as the brake-valve reservoir or supplementary reservoir of the Westinghouse automatic system. This haust quickly operating the/triple valve to re,-

charge the auxilia brake reservoir and release the brakes quickly. In the runnin position the compressed-fluid is gradually admitted to the train-pi es from the source of compressed-fluid supp y, and this position ofthe en ineersl'valve is its normal runnin g g position, so that compressed-fluid is slowly -su plied to the train-pipe to take care of any lea 'ng'and to maintain thepressure insaid pipe at a predetermined amount. Now if yfreriluent application of the brakes, or for any ot "erreason, the-pressure ing the auxiliary reservoir becomes materially reduced-so that a" considerable reduction ofpres'sure in the train-pi eis necessary in order to cause the triple va ve' to operate to apply the brakes, it may happen that the air from the highpressure source of supply-will flow into the trainpipe throu h the port in'the engineers valve substantia ly as fast as it is exhausted from the train-pipe to atmosphere at the relatively low pressure of the train-pipe, thereby preventing the brakes from being applied when the emergency valve is operated. Furthermore, it may happen that either intentionally or accidentally the engineers. valve is in its quick-release position at the time the emergency valve is operated, thereby allowing the compressedfluid to be fed to the train-pipe as fast as it is exhausted through theemergency valve and I thus revent the operation of the triple valve. To 0 viate these difficulties I may employ a relay valve operating in the casing K which is designed to be placed in the connecting pipe leading from the train-pipe to the engineers valve. The s ecific construction ofi-one form of this valve is illustrated in Fig. 5, 26. indicating said valve, which is adapted to rest normally against the seat 27 and control the exhaust port 28. This valve 26 is also adapted to rest on the seat 29 and controlan opening 30 in the diaphragm 31. At-

tached to said valve 26 .is a piston 32 which is of slightly larger diameter than the valve; The piston 32 has a small opening 33 passing therethrough, the said OAEIHIlg being adapted to admit compresseduid from the train-pipe into the chamber 34 in which the piston 32 operates. connected with the casing G of the emergency The said chamber 34 is valve through the pipes 16 and 14. The

valve 26 is normally maintained on its seat 27 by means of the fluid pressure within the chamber 34', assisted by the spring 35 Now if the motorman releases the'knob E, thus operating the cut-out switch and the valve 18, the chamber 34 is exhausted to atmosphere through the pipes 16 and 14 and exhaust port 19. The piston 32 will thereby be forced to the left by the pressure of the fluid within the train-pipe and the valve 26 will be forced onto its seat 29, thus exhausting the trainipe directly to atmosphere through the ex aust port 28 and closing the passageway from the engineers valve to the train-pipe. The compressed-fluid is thereby prevented from flowing through the port of the engineers valve into the train-pipe and the pressure in said train-pipe is reduced sufficiently to allow the triple valve to be operated by the compressed-fluid in the auxiliary reservoir when the emergency valve is o erated. As soon as the controllinghan le is turned to the -ofl" .or other-pie determined position and the valve 18 is closed the air that flows through the engineers valve will pass through the small v rt 33 in the piston 32 and raise the pressure in the chamber 34, thereby equalizing the pressure on both sides of the piston 32, and allowthe spring 35 to operate the valve 26 to close the exhaust port 28- and open the communicatrain-pipe.

In the modified form of connections shown in Fig. 6, the train-pipe is exhausted directly to' atmosphere through the pipe 15 and the exhaust .port 19, when the emergency valve in the controller casing is operated. Thevvalve 40 in the pipe 9, shown as a sin le seated valve, has merely the function of c osing' the communication between the trainpipe and the engineers valve while the train- I pipe is being exhausted through the exhaust port 19, and is operated from the said emergency valve in the same manner as above described with reference to valve 26 in the modification shown in Fig. 3.

It Will be understood that the controlling handle herein referred to is not necessarily the operating handle for the motor-controller but maybe the'operating handle for the customary engineers valve of the air-brake system- 'or any other handle'adapted for the purpose. I

I aim to cover in the claims hereto appended all modifications both of-the system and of the apparatus herein disclosed which do not involve a departure from the spirit and sec e of my invention.

J hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,- 1. In combination, a controller having a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a brake controlling device, a member loosely mounted on said shaft and arranged to oooperate with said brake controlling device to cause the brakes to be ap lied in the normal position of the said mem er and to.release thebrakes'and maintain them released in the running positions of'the controller when the said member is locked to the controller sh aft for rotation therewith, means for locking said member'to said shaft, said means being arran ed to unlock the said member from the she t upon release ofthe controller handle,

and means for returning said member to the normal position.

2. In combination, a controller having a revoluble 'shaft, a power actuated brake, a brake controllin device, a member loosely mounted on sai shaft and arranged to co-.

operate with said brake controlling device to cause the brakes to be applied in the normal position of the said member and to release the rakes and maintain them released in the running positions of the controller when the said member is'locked to the controller shaft for'rotation therewith, means for locking said member to said shaft, said means being arranged to unlock the said member from the shaft uponrelease of the controller handle,

senses means for returning sa uinember to the normal position, and a projection on said shaft arranged to cooperate with said brake controlling device to release the brakes in the .oif position of the controller. tionbetween the engineers valve and the P '3. In combination, a controller having a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a

brake controlling device tending normally to apply the brakes, a cam loosely mounted on said shaft, said cam bein normall out of engagement with said bra e contro ling do vice and arranged to engage with said brake controlling device in the running positions of the controller when locked to the controller shaft, means for'locking said cam" to said shaft, said means being arranged to unlock said cam from the shaft upon release of the controller handle, and a spring for returning the cam to its normal position. i

4. In combination,'a controller having a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a brake controlling device tending normall to apply the brakes, a cam loosely mounte' on said shaft, said cam bein normally out of engagement with said bra re controlling device and arranged to engage with said brake controlling device in the running positions of the controller when locked to the controller shaft, means for locking said cam to said shaft, said means being arran ed to unlock said cam from the shaft upon release of-the controller handle, a springfor returning thecam to its normal position, and a projection on the controller shaft arranged to engage the brake its off position.

5. In combination, a controller having a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a brake valve tending to apply the brakes, a sleeve loose on said shaft and having a cam arranged to engage saidvalve to release the brakes and maintain them released. in the running ositions of the controller when the sleeve is ocked to the controller shaft and to release the valve in the normal position of the sleeve, means for locking said sleeve to said shaft, said means being arranged to unlock the sleeve'from the shaft upon release of, the controller handle, and a spring tending to maintain said sleeve in its normal position.

6. In combination, a controller having a revoluble shaft, a-power-actuated brakc a brake valve tending to apply the brakes, a sleeve loose on said shaft and having a cam arranged to engage said valve to release'the brakes and maintain them released in the running positions of the controller when-tho sleeve is locked to the controller shaft and to tain said sleeve in its normal position, ands,

cam or projection on said shaft arranged t controlling device when the controller is in ll 0 E11 arranged to unlock said sleeve from the shaft upon release of the controller handle, and a engage said valve and release the brakes when the controller'is in its off o'sition.

7. In combination, a controller aving a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a spring actuated valve for causing said brake to be applied, a sleeve loose on said shaft andhaving a cam which is normally out of engagement with said valve, means for locking said sleeve to said shaft to bring said cam. into engagement'with said valve upon turning the controller handle, said means being spring tending to return said sleeve to its normal position.

8. In combination, a controller having a revoluble shaft, a power-actuated brake, a

spring actuated valvefor causing said brake to be applied, a sleeve loose on said shaft and "having a cam-which is normally out of engagement with said valve, means for locking said sleeve to said shaft to bring said cam into engagement with said valve upon turning the controller handle, said means being arranged to unlock said sleeve from the shaft upon release of the controller handle, a sprin tending to return saidasleeve to its norma position, and a projection on said shaft ar- 1 ran ed to engage said valve when the control er handle is in its oif position.

. -"9. In an automatic air-brake system,

means independent of the engineers valve for exhausting the train-pipe and at the same time closing the communication between said train-pipe and the engineers valve. 1

1 0. In an automatic air-brake system,

an engineers valve, a trainpipe, and a valve adapted to open an exhaust port leading from said train-pipe and at the same time close communication between the engineers valve and. said train-pipe.

11. In an automatic air-brake system, a controlling handle, and means for causing the trainipe to be exhausted to apply the brake an. for causing the communication between the trainipe and the, engineers valve to be close( when said controlling handle is released by the operator.

12. In an automatic air-brake system, a controlling handle, means for causing the train-pipe to be exhausted to apply the brake and. for'causing the communication between i the train-pipe and the engineers valve to be closed when said coi'itrolling handle is released by the operator, and means for causing the brake-to be, released and the communication between the engineers valve and the train-pipe"t b lie -opened when the said handle is moved into a certaintpredetermined osition.

13. n combination with an automatic air-brake system, a. motor-controller, an operating handle for said controller, and means independent of the engineers valve of .ing the said air-brake system and controlled from the operating handle of said controller for causing the train-pipe to be exhausted and for causing at the same time the communication between the train-pipe and the engineers valve to be closed.

14. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, an automatic air-brake system, a motorcontroller, an operating handle for said controller, and a valve independent of the engineers valve of the air-brake system and conv trolled from said operating handle adapted to exhaust the train-pipe of the said airbrake system and at the same time close the communication between the train-pipe and the engineers valve.

15. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, an automatic air-brake system, a ,motor controller, an operating handle for said controller, a relay valvelocated between the engineers valve of'the air-brake system and the train-pipe and adapted to exhaust said train-pipe and at the same time close the communication between the engineers valve and said train-pipe, and a valve operatively connected with said controlling handle for controlling the operation of said relay valve.

16. In combination with an automatic airbrake system, a motor-controller, an

' operating handle for said controller, a relay valve located between the engineers valve of the air-brake system and the train-pipe and adapted to exhaust said train-pipe and at the same time close the communication between said engineers valve and the trainpipe, a controlling valve adapted to-be operated to cause said relay valve to o erate to apply the brakes when the control ing hane is released in any of its operative positions, and means for operating said controlling valve to cause the brakes to be released when the operating handle is returned to its initial or off position.

' 17. In anair-brake system, a controlling handle, and means for causing the proper variation in traimpipe pressure to apply the brake and for causing the communication between the trainipe and the engineers valve to be closed when said controllin handle is released by the operator.

i 18. In an air-brake system, a controlling handle, means for causing the proper variaendent of the engineers valve of said air rake system and controlled from the operating handle of said controller for causing the proper variation in train pipe pressure to ap- 5 ply the breaks andfor causing at the same time the communication between the trainpipe and the engineers valve to be closed.

' 20. In an electrically propelled vehicle, an air-brake system, a motor controller, an 10 operating handle for saidcontroller, and a valve independent of the engineers valve of the air-brake system and controlled from said'operating handle adapted to cause the proper variation in train-pipe pressure to ap- 1 5 ply the brake and at the same time close the communication between the train-pipe and "the engineers valve.

21. In an air-brake system, in combination with a motor controller, means actuated upon the release of the controller handle by the motorman and adapted to cause the proper variation of train pipe-pressure to upprly the brake and to disconnect the trainpipe cm the motormans valve In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my 25 hand this 19th day of March, 1903.

" FRED B. COREY.

Witnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL,

HELEN ORFORD. 

